Not applicable.
Not applicable.
The present invention relates to the field of portable, multi-purpose exercise devices. As people become more aware of the health benefits of proper exercise and fitness, the amount of commercial activity directed toward developing and marketing convenient and attractive ways to exercise has increased dramatically. Many types and categories of home exercise devices are currently marketed and sold directly to consumers for use in their own homes. Some of these devices are large mechanical manufactures that are intended to provide a gym-type environment in the home for doing exercise. Some exercise devices are smaller portable devices, typically intended to provide a mechanism to exercise a particular body part of muscle group.
One type of small portable exercise device is marketed under the trademark Funflexor(trademark). The Funflexor exercise device is an integrally formed molded plastic product, that has been on the market. FIG. 1 is an illustration of this device. The Funflexor exercise device 10 has two arms 12 and 14 connected to each other in a V-shape formation by a hinge section 16. The Funflexor device 10 is made of a resin and fiberglass selected such that the characteristics of the resin and the thickness of the hinge section 16 determine the amount of force which must be exerted on the arms 12 and 14 to bend the device at the hinge section 16. The two arms of a Funflexor device are thus resistant to the forces exerted on them to bring them closer to each other, and the amount of the resistance is dependent on the thickness of the hinge section 16 and the choice of the material for the device. The Funflexor device is intended to be used for many flexibility and muscle toning exercises.
The present invention is an exercise device or kit including at least one flexor device and a board. The flexor is an integrally molded exercise device which has two arms, which can be flexed under muscle pressure toward each other. The board can be attached to one of the arms of the flexor as a recipient of a force that tends to bring the two arms closer to each other. In another embodiment, the board can be attached to one of the arms of the flexor at different positions to provide different levels of resistance to forces that tend to bring the corresponding arms closer to each other.
The present invention is also an exercise device comprising a flexor and an insert. The flexor is as described above. The insert can stay between the two arms of the flexor and provide more resistance to forces that tend to bring the corresponding flexible ends of the two arms closer to each other.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the exercise device comprises a flexor, a board and an insert, each of which is as described above.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable, multi-purpose exercise device with a larger surface upon which a body part can contact in using the device for exercise.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a portable, multi-purpose exercise device with adjustable resistance.
It is an advantage of the present invention that the exercise device with adjustable resistance has a wide resistance range.
Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying claims and drawings.